Tulane University
UCF
Men's Basketball Seeks Season Split at UCF on ESPNU
Feb 21, 2020 | Men's Basketball
| GAME 27: TULANE Green Wave (11-15, 3-11 AAC) at UCF Knights (14-11, 5-8 AAC) |
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| When: | Saturday, February 22, 2020 | 11 a.m. (CT) |
| Where: | Orlando, Florida | Addition Financial Arena |
| Watch: | ESPNU | WatchESPN |
| Commentators: | Anish Shroff (PxP) & Paul Biancardi (Color) |
| Radio: | 1280 AM New Orleans |
| Radio Talent: | Andrew Allegretta (Play-By-Play) |
| Live Scoring: | Statbroadcast |
| Notes: | Tulane | UCF | The American |
| Social Media: | @GreenWaveMBB |
The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, as Anish Shroff calls play-by-play action and Paul Biancardi provides color analysis.
STARTING FIVE
1. Tulane faces UCF in search of an American Athletic Conference regular-season series split, as the teams complete a home-and-home series for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign.
2. Saturday's game features two of The American's top teams in terms of 3-pointers made per game this season, as the Green Wave rank second (7.8) and UCF is sixth (6.8).
3. The Green Wave lead the conference in steals per game (8.2) turnovers per game (11.7), turnover margin (+4.1) and fewest fouls committed per game (15.3). The Green Wave rank in the top 100 nationally in each of those categories, while their average beyond the arc is the only one that ranks outside the top 50.
4. Last time out, Tulane snapped a nine-game skid and picked up its third American Athletic Conference win of the season, 80-72, over SMU at home Wednesday night. Teshaun Hightower led all players with 26 points and nine rebounds, marking his seventh 20-point effort of the season. Christion Thompson added 19 points and six boards, while K.J Lawson chipped in 14 points. Jordan Walker also reached double-figures with 11 points to complement a game-high six assists and four steals. Tulane recorded season-highs in field goal percentage (.568), free throws made (31) and second-half points (53) while shooting 13 of 18 (.722) overall and 6-for-6 beyond the 3-point line in the final 20 minutes.
5. Tulane has committed fewer or an equal number of turnovers to its opponent in 24 of its 26 games this season. The Green Wave Wave are forcing teams into 15.8 turnovers per game and own a +4.1 turnover margin which ranks 12th nationally.
SCOUTING UCF
• The Knights (14-11, 5-8 AAC) enter Saturday's game with wins in three of their last four, most recently earning an 89-87 double overtime road win at Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
• UCF owns an 8-5 record on its home court this season, but just a 2-4 mark against conference opponents.
• The Knights do not rank in the top five in The American in any major statistical category, but rank sixth in field goal percentage (.425), free throw percentage (.704) and turnover margin (+0.8).
• UCF is led by Collin Smith's 12.4 points per game, while Dazon Ingram ranks sixth in the league in rebounding (7.4) and seventh in assists (3.8).
GREEN WAVE-KNIGHTS CONNECTIONS
» Tulane junior guard Teshaun Hightower (2017) and UCF redshirt junior guard Cesar DeJesus (2016) both attended Mt. Zion Prep in Baltimore, but were never teammates.
» Hightower and UCF guard Dazon Ingram played against one another as starting guards in the SEC each of the last two seasons. Hightower played at Georgia, while Ingram was at Alabama. Brandon Mahan also competed in the SEC in 2018-19, starting 20 games at Texas A&M.
» Tulane graduate transfer Christion Thompson and UCF redshirt junior forward Collin Smith began their collegiate careers as freshmen in the A-10 Conference. Thompson attended Rhode Island, while Smith played on year at George Washington.
BY THE NUMBERS
• 33 – Teshaun Hightower scored 33 points against Towson on Dec. 21 in Washington, D.C., the most points scored in a single game by any player in The American this season.
• 43 – Tulane attempted 43 free throws in its 80-72 home win over SMU on Feb. 19, marking the first time the Green Wave shot over 40 in a game since having exactly 40 against Colgate on Nov. 26, 2013.
• 200 – Tulane has made at least one 3-point field goal in 200 consecutive games. The last time the Green Wave failed to do so came on Jan. 16, 2014 at home against Louisiana Tech when they went 0-for-14 from outside.
MINUTES MONSTERS
• Playing primarily with a seven-man rotation, Tulane's starters are seeing more court time than any team in The American Athletic Conference this season.
• K.J. Lawson (35.9), Christion Thompson (33.9) and Teshaun Hightower (33.7) rank first, fifth and sixth respectively among all players in The American in minutes played.
HUNTER WINS NO. 450
• It took just five wins and six games for first-year head coach Ron Hunter to reach a new milestone, as he earned his 450th career win on November 24 against Utah at the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
• In his 26th season as a head coach, Hunter ranks 35th nationally among active NCAA Division I head coaches and third in the American Athletic Conference behind only Houston's Kelvin Sampson (619) and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall (508).
SEASONED COACHING STAFF
• Head coach Ron Hunter has assembled a veteran coaching staff featuring two former NCAA Division I head coaches - Ray McCallum (Ball State - 1993-2000; Houston 2000-04; Detroit Mercy - 2008-16) and Kevin Johnson (Centenary - 1999-2005), as well as Claude Pardue.
• The Green Wave are one of just nine schools nationally to have three of its four coaches currently or previously holding head-coaching titles, along with Pittsburgh (4), Iowa (4), Creighton (3), Michigan State (3), Minnesota (3), Oklahoma State (3), South Carolina (3) and Washington (3).
TULANE INKS TWO EARLY SIGNEES
• Head coach Ron Hunter received two NLI's in the NCAA's Early Signing Period from Jadan Coleman (Madison, Ala.) and Sion James (Atlanta, Ga.) as part of his first signing class.
• A 6'4 wing player, Coleman plays at Bob Jones High School. On the AAU trail, he averaged 9.7 points per game for the Alabama Fusion on the 2019 Nike EYBL circuit. He made 34 3-pointers in 13 games and set the EYBL record with 10 3-pointers made in a 36-point outburst against Team United.
• A 6'5 guard from Lanier High School, James earned Region 8 Class 6A Player of the Year honors and received 2019 North Atlanta boys' all-state first team honors and all-county recognition after averaging 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game as a junior. He led the Longhorns to the Class 6A title and was a 2019 Gwinnett County All-Metro Second Team pick while being selected to the 2019 North Georgia All-Star Basketball Classic.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For behind-the-scenes coverage, follow Tulane men's basketball (@GreenWaveMBB) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
